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News

General manager Ross Atkins said the Blue Jays informed Bautista that they won't pick up his mutual option for 2018, Shi Davidi of Sportsnet.ca reports.

Impact

Atkins didn't rule out Bautista returning to the Blue Jays on a new contract, but he called the scenario unlikely. This doesn't come as too much of a surprise given his unremarkable .203/.308/.366 line and his 24.7 percent strikeout rate in 157 games this season. He'll look to catch on elsewhere, though his expectations for next season should be kept in check given his noticeable decline over the previous two seasons.

Impact

News

Bautista is out of Monday's lineup against Baltimore, Arden Zwelling of Sportsnet.ca reports.

Impact

In the midst of a disappointing season, Bautista has had some success at the plate recently. Since the start of September, he's hit .313/.389/.594 and slugged two home runs over 32 at-bats. He'll head to the bench Monday as Teoscar Hernandez gets the nod in right field.

News

Bautista went 2-for-3 with a double, a homer, a walk and two runs Friday against the Tigers.

Impact

Bautista left the yard for the 22nd time this season, bringing the Blue Jays within one run of the Tigers in the eighth inning of a home loss. Although his home run total has been decent, his .208/.315/.384 slash line has made him a player to avoid in fantasy lineups for most of the season.

Impact

News

Bautista is not in the lineup for Sunday's game against Twins, Shi Davidi of Sportsnet.ca reports.

Impact

Bautista will head to the bench after starting each of the team's past eight games. During that stretch, the veteran slugger went 4-for-31 with 10 strikeouts to lower his season average to an abysmal .208. Josh Donaldson will man third base while Norichika Aoki will start in right field in his absence.

News

Manager John Gibbons suggested that he'll continue deploying Bautista at third base routinely through the end of the season, Richard Griffin of The Toronto Star reports.

Impact

Bautista's defensive value in the outfield has declined, and the team's offensive weapons on the infield are lacking. With the slugger moving to third, and Josh Donaldson taking over shortstop, Gibbons can bolster his offense through the outfield. Bautista already has six games under his belt at the hot corner this year, and the Jays have 38 contests remaining. It seems likely he'll pick up third-base eligibility in all single-season leagues before long, and there's a very real chance he'll log enough time at the hot corner to open 2018 with multi-position eligibility.

News

Bautista is not in the lineup for Thursday's game against the Rays, Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet.ca reports.

Impact

Bautista retreats to the bench for the first time this month after starting in 15 straight games. During that span, the slugger is hitting just .186 at the plate, but he has added four home runs and eight RBI. In his place, Norichika Aoki gets the start in right while batting at the top of the order.